


Item of Immense Power

by iwaizumemes (skytramp)



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Final Haikyu Quest, Double Anal Penetration, Hand Jobs, M/M, Self-cest, Threesome - M/M/M, blood mention, brief description of starvation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-01
Updated: 2015-05-28
Packaged: 2018-03-26 14:25:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3854032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skytramp/pseuds/iwaizumemes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He could smell the dirt and mixture of sap where his face was pushed against the ground. It took him more than a few seconds to remember where he was, or at least where he <i>thought</i> he was.<br/> <br/><i>The bright flash, so blinding he thought he’d gone blind, and then the aching twisting sensation, his bones bending like copper wires, but there was no pain, just compression, and then there was nothing.</i></p><p>  <b>[Iwaizumi finds himself in an alternate universe with no way to get home.]</b></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> All credit for this premise to [ aroceu ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/aroceu) and I feel really bad about it but obviously not bad enough to stop writing it because, gosh dang. (No really Aro you're the best and I can't wait for you to write some iwa/iwa)
> 
> Also this is for [Megan](http://archiveofourown.org/users/megginee), who has a thirst.

He could smell the dirt and mixture of sap where his face was pushed against the ground. It took him more than a few seconds to remember where he was, or at least where he _thought_ he was. 

_The bright flash, so blinding he thought he’d gone blind, and then the aching twisting sensation, his bones bending like copper wires, but there was no pain, just compression, and then there was nothing._

Hajime tentatively stretched his arms and legs, everything appeared to be in working order, and there was no pain, aside from a stiff soreness that came from lying on the ground for an indeterminate amount of time. He stood up and dusted himself off the best he could. He was still in his school uniform, the patterned pants and button up white shirt. He wasn’t wearing the sweater vest though, and his volleyball team jacket was around his shoulders. His chest and arms were streaked with dirt, as was the side of his face, which he attempted to wipe with his sleeve. 

He looked around. From what he could see through the trees it was sometime in the afternoon, probably close to the last time he remembered, it had been just after lunch when the light appeared. He was in a forest, as far as he could see in every direction were tall pine trees the likes of which he’d hardly seen before. They seemed taller, somehow, and more imposing than the trees he grew up around. Was he even still in Japan? He didn’t know. 

He checked his pockets but found no sign of his cell phone or his wallet. From what he could see of the light, and the sun through the trees, he took his best guess as to what was north and started walking. 

Without a way to judge how long or far he’d gone, Hajime started to get anxious. He was a practical person, practical and down to earth and thoroughly a pragmatist, but what he was seeing wasn’t making any sense and the panic was beginning to overtake him. The sun was getting lower and the forest was going dim around him. There were small breaks in the trees but nothing large enough to be called a true clearing. He felt strangely trapped, like he could be going in circles and not even know it. 

An unusual rustling caught his attention and he stopped walking and flattened his back against the nearest tree, putting the firm wood between himself and the sound. The rustling continued and Hajime was almost certain it wasn’t an animal, or it was a very large animal. Neither thought comforted him and he irrationally wished he had a weapon of some kind to defend himself, despite his complete lack of weapons knowledge. 

A few seconds later a man emerged from the brush. His back was too Hajime. He looked like he was wearing some sort of medieval armor, there was a lot of burnished steel with thick cloth in between and he clinked with every step. In his hand was a two handed greatsword, the type that Hajime had only seen in video games. He leaned further back against the tree and held his breath. He didn’t want to do anything that would draw the man’s attention, but he already seemed wary. The man was walking still, and looking around, and Hajime didn’t breathe until he turned out of sight. 

The tap he felt on his shoulder nearly made him scream. 

“Ya-ho! Who do we have here?” The voice was annoying and, when the shock settled, familiar. When he turned to face the stranger what he saw was a figure coalescing out of a black mist. At first he was nothing solid, and then he was there, in a black robe with the hood lifted and a walking stick as tall as he was. The face was unmistakable, though, it was Oikawa.

“Oikawa? What the fuck are you doing here?” He kept his voice as quiet as he dared, as the man with the sword was still nearby, but he hoped the irritation was clear in his tone. 

“Wha?” Oikawa looked confused, but there was something different about his usual expression. Besides, how did Oikawa get here anyway? And what was he wearing? For that matter, why did it seem as if he appeared in a cloud of smoke? “Iwa-chan! I think we’ve got a guest here!” His voice was loud and he was looking over Hajime’s shoulder when he called.

“I’m right here, Shittykawa there’s no need to ye-” Hajime tried to say but his voice was cut short by the flat of the other man’s sword being pressed against his bare throat.

“There you are, Iwa-chan! What kind of protector strays so far from his master? I could have been killed, you know?”

The man with the sword responded with a grunt and Hajime wanted to protest. He’d never had the urge to embrace the “Iwa-chan” nickname before, but calling this warrior by that name seemed incredibly wrong and incredibly confusing. 

“Can you do anything besides grunt? We’ve got a guest here, after all.” Oikawa taunted, gesturing with his tall walking stick. 

“What do you want me to say?” The voice is harsh and Hajime would have collapsed if it weren’t for the cold metal against his throat. That was _his_ voice, but it didn’t come from him. He couldn’t turn his head to see the man but from what little he could see in his peripheral vision they were at least the same height, with the same dark hair. 

“Maybe introduce yourself then?” Oikawa was still speaking to the armored man and he was gesturing impatiently with his free hand. 

“Why in the hells should I do that? Look, do you want me to kill him, or what?” 

Hajime held his breath. Hearing those words in his own voice combined with the sword against his neck and the fact that the threat of death felt _very_ real made it impossible for him to swallow and he thought he might faint. 

“Oh no, not yet, first I have to figure out what kind of magic he’s using.” Oikawa stepped forward and leaned in just a few inches from Hajime’s face, as if he was examining a specimen, not looking at a person. “You see, I’m not sensing _anything_ and that is _most_ peculiar, because he’s obviously using some sort of shapestealing charm.” 

“Obviously?” The man with the sword replied. They both were acting as if Hajime wasn’t there, or wasn’t human. 

“Did you look at him, Iwa-chan? He was trying to be you! Probably someone’s plan to thwart me, of course. Pretend to be my highest ranking guardsman, get in close, maybe poison me.” Oikawa paused to laugh but the laugh felt sinister. It wasn’t something Hajime had ever heard from _his_ Oikawa, and he was certain now, that _somehow_ they were different people. “It wouldn’t have worked, of course, I’m immune to every poison. Plus! How did they possibly think this disguise would fool me? Such preposterous clothing! Iwa-chan is almost _never_ seen outside his armor, except when we’re alone, and why would anyone _ever_ wear trousers such as that?” He gestured to Hajime’s school uniform, and it would have been laughable how much he agreed if he wasn’t so confused he felt like his head may explode. 

The man with the sword readjusted his grip and Hajime winced as the blade nicked his skin and the man stepped forward into his sight. He felt as if he looking in funhouse mirror, but one that was only so subtly distorted as to make you doubt your own eyes. They were the same height, his eyes were the same shade, precisely, his hair was a little shorter, but had the same texture, maybe his jaw was slightly sharper, and, while it was hard to tell beneath the armor, he may have been slightly more muscular, too much was the same. 

“You said it was a shapestealing charm?” He asked, directing his question at Oikawa. It was stranger to watch his voice come from a mouth that looked disturbingly like his own. It was worse than just hearing it. He sounded skeptical, though.

“It must be, but I can’t sense any magic _at all_.” He crossed his arms the best he could while still holding the walking stick and made a grumpy sounding noise. 

“If you can’t sense it, doesn’t it mean it’s not there?” He said it as if it was a fact, not a question.

“Iwa-chan! You have too much faith in me! I am _very_ good but there’s always better. I doubt this one here is the mastermind though.” He jerked his head towards Hajime and then addressed him. “So, who sent you then?” 

“Nnn.” He tried to speak up but his voice was wavering and weak. 

“Come on, shapestealer, who sent you, who are you _really_?” Oikawa asked again, leaning in even closer, and Hajime swallowed, trying to get his voice back. 

“No one.” He croaked. “No one sent me, I don’t know why I’m here or where I am or who the fuck you are or why he looks like me.” He gestured with his eyes to the man holding the sword, he didn’t dare move his head. He could still feel a single drop of blood running down his neck onto his shirt collar. 

“Oooh, that was almost convincing.” Oikawa crooned, but when he glanced back at the man he shook his head slightly. 

“I believe him.” Hajime almost couldn’t believe his ears.

“What?!” It seemed Oikawa couldn’t believe his ears either. 

“I said I believe him. Look at him, if he was a shapestealer who was good enough to hide every trace of his magic, even from you, don’t you think he would have gotten the shape perfect? And the clothes, they’re like nothing we’ve ever seen, what sort of idiotic wizard would put this together thinking it would fool anyone? I think this is something different, and I think he’s innocent.” 

Oikawa made the grumpy noise again but he stepped back, further from Hajime. The sword was still pressed to his neck but he almost felt it was safe to breathe again.

“You’re lucky I like you, Iwa-chan, otherwise I’d never believe such a tall tale.” 

The knight seemed to take Oikawa’s words as a cue to drop his sword, and he lowered it and then sheathed it across his back. Hajime took a shaky breath and then fell to his knees without warning. Oikawa laughed and before Hajime could get up by himself the other man stepped forward and gripped him hard around the arm and pulled him to his feet. 

Hajime winced and he heard a quiet apology from the armored man which surprised him. 

“Well, well, well, I suppose I’ll have to take both of my Iwa-chans home tonight, it’s getting dark after all.” Oikawa sounded far too pleased with the prospect but Hajime could see he was right, the sun was below the tree line now and the shadows were creeping in. He didn’t know what Oikawa’s home would bring, but when he considered spending the night alone in this wood he followed them without complaint.


	2. Chapter 2

The knight’s armored hand never left his bicep but he found it easy to walk pace with him, given their legs were the same length. They didn’t speak much on the way, except for Oikawa’s occasional inane observation about the wildlife fleeing from him, or how much he liked the darkness, or vague mentions of how much fun he could have with _two_ Iwa-chans serving him. The trip wasn’t long, it felt shorter than the time that Hajime had spent walking before he was found, and it wasn’t even entirely dark when they came across what looked to be a small castle. 

Parts of it were in ruin, the eastern battlement seemed collapsed on itself, and the open drawbridge was half splintered wood, the remaining pathway too thin for the three of them to walk abreast. Despite the decay it was still breathtaking. Hajime hadn’t seen a castle like this, or truly anything that could be called a castle, before. Two torches were lit on either side of the open archway beyond the drawbridge, and the orange flames flared bright blue as Oikawa swept past. 

They trudged through a courtyard rife with weeds and through a thick wooden door that opened at the wave of Oikawa’s hand. The castle seemed empty except for the three of them. The room they entered was dark at first, but Oikawa waved a hand again and those same blue flames leapt into a series of sconces along the walls, basking the room in an eerie glow. 

“You can let go of him, Iwa-chan. He’s not going anywhere, now.” Oikawa said, and he pulled the hood of his cloak down and draped the fabric over a large throne-like chair at the end of the room. The knight’s grip dropped from his arm and when he looked back at Oikawa he saw what the hood had been hiding, two spiraling horns, like those of a demon, curling up through his hair from just behind his temples. In the light it was hard to tell their color, just that they were slightly darker than his messy hair. 

“Come closer, stranger, I want to look at you again.” Oikawa said, beckoning towards Hajime with one hand. He had set down his walking stick, as well, it leaned against the wall behind the chair. Hajime stumbled forward, never having felt more awkward in his life. 

Oikawa didn’t move, just hovered near his throne-like chair and Hajime crossed the room to meet him. When he was within a few feet he stopped, but Oikawa gestured again for him to come closer, he did, but only slightly.

“Come on, I’m not going to bite. Not unless you want me to.” Oikawa’s laugh was predatory and Hajime felt it on his skin. He took another step forward until he felt uncomfortably close to the taller man, or whatever he was. 

Oikawa leaned over him, the few centimeter difference in their heights feeling impossibly large. His breath slid against Hajime’s cheek before he pulled back and called out to the knight.

“I’m beginning to think you’re, right, Iwa-chan. This one is certainly not magical in the least.” 

The man grunted in response again, and he probably nodded, Hajime would have, but he didn’t look back to confirm. His eyes were trained on Oikawa’s jaw and how his skin glowed in the blue light. 

“So then,” Oikawa’s attention flicked back to him, eyes lingering on his mouth, trailing down his exposed neck. Hajime noticed a wildness in his eyes that _his_ Oikawa didn’t have, he felt as if he was in just as much danger as when the sword was pressed to his throat. “What’s your name, stranger?” 

His jaw clenched and he tried to swallow a few times before he answered, wanting to be sure his voice came out as more than a breathy growl. “Iwaizumi.” 

Oikawa’s eyes widened and he heard the knight sputter behind him. Truthfully he’d expected this, since the knight had been addressed as “Iwa-chan” it only made sense they had the same name.

“You hear that, Iwa-chan? He’s Iwa-chan too!” Oikawa snickered and walked past Hajime, trailing his fingers along the top of his shoulder. Hajime couldn’t suppress the shiver that passed through him. Hajime turned to watch him glide back towards the knight where he stood near the entrance. When Oikawa reached him he slid his arms around the knight’s neck and nestled his face against his armored shoulder. 

Oikawa was speaking quietly now and Hajime couldn’t hear it from where he was standing. He felt as if he was intruding on something intimate. The Oikawa he knew had never embraced _him_ that way, they were best friends, sure, but that was all, despite the clenching, twisting feeling in Hajime’s chest. 

With a sudden loud clatter and a small flash of blue the pauldrons fell from his shoulders and hit the stone floor. 

“What in the hells, Oikawa? I told you to stop doing that! You’re going to dent my armor.” The knight pulled away and picked up the pieces. He walked to a small table against the wall and began unfastening the rest. Beneath the armor he wore a tunic made of some sort of thick material that Hajime couldn’t identify. He noted the differences in their physique, the knight’s shoulders were thicker, but other than his muscular arms he looked to be thinner than Hajime, the kind of thinness that spoke of having too little to eat for far too long. 

Hajime looked again at the crumbling stone walls around them and wondered if perhaps they were bandits, or at least squatters. Surely someone who could afford to live in a castle, no matter how ruinous, could afford regular meals?

“Well, I’m going to find us something to eat. Iwa-chan, stay here with Iwa-chan.” Oikawa laughed raucously and slapped his thigh as if his joke was the pinnacle of humor. When Oikawa left out one of the side doors of the hall Hajime sat down on the floor and crossed his legs. The knight still stood by the table where his armor had been discarded, and he was looking pointedly away, towards the large entrance door. Hajime felt his stomach growl and he was suddenly glad that Oikawa had been going to find food, though he didn’t fancy knowing what mysterious horned creatures ate for supper. 

After a few minutes the knight sighed and crossed the room to sit down in front of Hajime. He felt the same sensation of staring at a warped mirror again. It was even easier to see their similarities without the bulky armor. The knight took a deep breath, and stared resolutely at the stone floor beneath them. 

“I still don’t believe you’re magic, but that doesn’t mean I trust you.” Hajime nodded but he wasn’t sure the man could see it. He continued as if he had. “Where do you come from?” 

“Japan.” Hajime answered, because he didn’t know how else to answer. Presumably they were both speaking Japanese, so who was he to say that he wasn’t still _in_ Japan? Who’s to say he wasn’t just dreaming this whole thing? It was the knight’s turn to nod this time. 

“I think Oikawa trusts you, which is stupid of him. But when he gets an idea in his head he isn’t easily swayed.” 

“Believe, me. I know.” Hajime answered before he could stop himself and the knight looked up sharply.

“You know?” He questioned, sounding genuinely curious. 

“Er…” Hajime paused. He hadn’t meant to reveal more about himself than was asked, but now he couldn’t very well dodge the question. “Where I’m from, there’s an Oikawa, too. We’re...friends.” 

“Lovers?” The knight asked and Hajime almost choked. He’d realized just how easy it was to predict the expressions and responses of the man in front of him, but he hadn’t thought that it would work both ways, and the knight had seen through his veiled feelings as easily as glass.

“No. We’re not.” He tried to keep the bitterness out of his voice. The fact that there was a world, albeit a strange magical world where Oikawa had _horns_ and _he_ wielded a giant sword, where Oikawa and Hajime were romantically involved in the slightest was almost too much to bear. 

The knight just nodded again, thoughtfully. They sat in silence for a few minutes before the knight spoke up again. “Is your Oikawa a king?” 

Hajime snorted out a laugh before he could stop himself. “No. My Oikawa is an idiot.” He didn’t continue until he could stop himself from laughing. “Okay he’s not entirely an idiot. But he’s just a kid, like me, he’s good at sports but he’s definitely not a _king_. Wait, is _your_ Oikawa a king?” 

He looked again around the ruined hall. If this Oikawa was a king he was the poorest king imaginable. The knight shook his head before Hajime could spend any more time considering it. 

“No, though it was prophesied. We’re on a quest of sorts, if he retrieves an item of immense power it is said he will receive his rightful throne.” It sounded like a bunch of nonsense to Hajime, but he sounded serious. This sort of thing belonged in video games, not the real world. Though, he supposed, maybe this wasn’t the real world at all. 

“What sort of item?” He found himself asking. He was curious, despite himself. And maybe an item of so-called “immense power” would have the power to get him back home again. 

“We...don’t know.” The knight looked sheepish, and Hajime could tell he was embarrassed at their lack of knowledge. 

“How can you look for it if you don’t know what it is?” 

“There are clues. It’s supposed to be found in this forest, in this season, and it has properties that Oikawa will be able to recognize, or he thinks he will.” 

Hajime just nodded. This doesn’t sound like anything he could help with, even if he had the inclination. His stomach grumbled again and he wondered when Oikawa would come back with the food he promised. 

They sat in silence for a few more minutes before the blue flames flared up and Oikawa swept back into the room from, yet another, side door. He held three loaves of what looked to be hard bread in his arms, and a jug hung over his shoulder that sloshed with every step. At this point Hajime was ready to eat anything, so even bread and water made his mouth drool. 

Oikawa just settled on the floor next to them, his loose clothes pooling around him and he handed them each a loaf. They ate in silence, tearing at the hard bread, and passing the jug between the three of them to drink. When they’d finished Hajime felt better, and he leaned back on his hands. 

“So,” Oikawa started, “it looks like the two of you were getting friendly while I was gone. Becoming best friends?” 

“Shut up.” The knight answered, and Hajime laughed, the same response had been on the tip of his tongue.

“So mean, Iwa-chan! I just want us all to be friends! After all, we can’t leave the poor boy alone in the forest.” 

“What?” The knight and Hajime both said in unison.

“What? Did you think I was going to leave my new, Iwa-chan here to die? Clearly he’s ill equipped, he doesn’t even carry a weapon, and he has no magic to speak of, he’d die within the week! I’m not so cruel.” Oikawa smiled at both of them, turning his head between them. Hajime tried to convince himself that he didn’t like the way Oikawa had called him _his_ new Iwa-chan, but his cheeks twitched where he held back a smile. 

“Iwa-chan.” Oikawa addressed the knight, but Hajime was finding it harder and harder not to respond as he got more comfortable. “Will you get the bed rolls, please?”

“We only have two.” He said as he stood up.

“I know. Shush, we’ll make it work, just go.” Oikawa waved his hand impatiently and the knight stalked out of the room. When the door slammed behind him Oikawa turned towards Hajime and smiled. 

“So, now that we’re alone. Tell me more about yourself?” He was staring expectantly, and Hajime flexed his hands into fists. He couldn’t let himself feel comfortable around this Oikawa. Even if the knight trusted and served him, it didn’t mean Oikawa’s intentions were pure.

“What do you want me to say?” Hajime sat up and crossed his arms defensively over his chest. 

“What do you _want_ to say?” The teasing tone was achingly familiar and Hajime bristled. 

“I don’t want to say anything.” 

Oikawa sat up on his knees and scooted closer, until the fabric of his shift pressed against the patterned fabric over Hajime’s knee. He leaned forward, propped both elbows on Hajime’s knee, and rested his chin on his hands. 

“What is he like?” Oikawa asked, and Hajime looked down at him, confused. 

“Who?” 

“The other _me_ , of course! It only makes sense, if theres two of you, there has to be two of me.” 

Hajime sighed. It was almost annoying that every incarnation of Oikawa was just as clever and just as able to press his buttons. “He’s normal, I don’t know.” 

Oikawa scoffed. “Normal? I don’t believe that for one minute.”

“He’s hardworking...dedicated.” Hajime tried to think of the proper words. “He’s good with people. He’s annoying.” Oikawa laughed and Hajime could feel the movement through his arms and elbows and down to his own knee. 

“I see.” The way Oikawa said the words made an ominous knot tie in Hajime’s stomach. When Oikawa, _any Oikawa_ said something in that tone of voice it was sure to be bad news for Hajime. Oikawa dug his elbows in deeper, seemingly oblivious to Hajime’s wince, and continued speaking. “What would you like me to call you? I can’t call you both, Iwa-chan, after all. It would be far too confusing.” 

He considered it for a few second, uncrossing his arms and leaning back, further from Oikawa’s examining eyes. “Hajime.” He decided at last. It was as good as anything, he supposed. 

“Hajime.” Oikawa said the name slowly, rolling it around on his tongue like it was made of entirely new syllables. “I like it. Iwa-chan never lets me call him that.” 

Hajime didn’t say any more, he just leaned back further on his hands and looked away from Oikawa’s face. He could feel his eyes on him, still. “Aren’t you going to ask what you can call me?” Oikawa asked.

“No.” 

“Why not?” His voice was whiny and falsely distressed, a tone Hajime was intimately familiar with. 

“Because I don’t plan on calling you anything.” Hajime answered, and it was true, he didn’t need to use his name, or address him with some pompous self-chosen title. 

“How rude.” 

“Aren’t you getting sore sitting like that?” Hajime asked. Oikawa was still bent, nearly double, his face on his hands on Hajime’s knee, and kneeling on the stone floor.

“No.” 

“You’re lying.” 

“How do you know?” Oikawa sounded petulant and Hajime was certain he’d been right. 

“I just know.” 

Oikawa sighed dramatically and sat up straight. He stretched his arms over his head for a few seconds and it seemed he was about to lay on the floor when a door opened and the knight returned, carrying two bed rolls. 

“Finally, Iwa-chan, did you get lost?” He leaned back on his hands, mirroring Hajime’s position. The knight didn’t answer, he just tossed a bed roll at Oikawa and unstrapped the one in his arms. Oikawa caught it easily and pulled off the strap as well. Hajime watched them set up their beds. They laid them next to each other, almost perfectly even, and inches apart. Each roll looked just wide enough for a man to lay on his back with not much room to spare, and Hajime wondered what Oikawa had meant when he said they’d “make it work”. 

When the knight finished setting his up, he laid down immediately. 

“Are you sleeping, already, Iwa-chan? It’s early! We’ve got so much to talk about with Hajime here!” He turned his head sharply at the name Oikawa had agreed to call him. 

“Hajime?” The knight growled.

“It’s my name, too.” Hajime said defensively. The knight grunted and turned his head away again. 

“Okay, Iwa-chan, if you insist. I suppose we should get an early start tomorrow anyways.” Oikawa slid on his knees closer to the pile of blankets and thin padding. Just as he was about to lay down he looked over at Hajime. “Are you coming?” 

“Coming where?” 

Ni

“To bed?” Oikawa’s voice sounded innocent, but the smirk on his lips betrayed that.

“I repeat, _where_?” Hajime gestured at the small space. 

“Iwa-chan and I have shared one of these many times--”

“That was an emergency.” The knight piped in. 

“-before without any issues.” Oikawa continued as if he hadn’t been interrupted. Hajime didn’t move. “So, come _on_ , Hajime, get over here or you’ll freeze to death, and I’ll have wasted my precious food on you.” 

Hajime stood up. He would have to sleep somewhere, and if that somewhere was uncomfortably close to Oikawa he would have to deal with it. He’d dealt with worse, presumably. He hovered near the bedroll, waiting for Oikawa to give some clue as to where he was supposed to lay. He was suddenly very conscious that his clothes were covered in dirt and he doubted he smelled very good after the long afternoon in the woods. Oikawa patted the space between him and where the knight curled on his side. Hajime knelt and slid into the space, trying to avoid touching either of them. After a few second Oikawa settled himself down as well and the blue flames on the walls dimmed to nothing. 

Hajime closed his eyes and focused on slowing his breathing. He didn’t want to think too much, about the situation or anything else. His mind kept drifting to the heavy breathing of the people around him, how occasionally Oikawa’s breath was half a whimper, how sometimes he couldn’t tell the difference between his breathing and the knight’s. He honed in on the sounds, letting them calm him as best they could, and soon he was asleep. 

He woke to a hand on his hip and something warm and wet against his neck. He was laying on his side and it took him a few seconds to remember where he was. It was _Oikawa_ behind him, and those had to be his lips on Hajime’s neck. 

He rolled, to his back and then to face Oikawa who had been curled around his body. The room was dark and he couldn’t see him, though he was close enough to feel his breath. “What are you doing?” He whispered.

“Kissing you, mostly.” Oikawa replied, just as quietly. His hand moved to Hajime’s other hip, crossing over his body and half-pinning him. 

“I’m not the one you want.” He replied. 

“Yes you are, Hajime. I can have Iwa-chan whenever I want. This is new.” 

He didn’t know how to respond, so he kept his mouth shut. This felt wrong, but it also felt like an opportunity to get something he’d never get once he made it home. If he was doomed to have these stupid feelings for Oikawa maybe he should just get it over with and see what it could have been. He knew it wasn’t the same, his Oikawa would never act like this, he didn’t even know if _this_ Oikawa was human, but his voice was the same, his hands, and _this_ Oikawa wanted him. 

“What about him?” Hajime choked out, at last. It wasn’t so long ago that the knight had his sword pressed to Hajime’s throat, and he didn’t think doing _whatever_ this was with his lover was the best plan, especially not lying inches away from him. 

“Iwa-chan,” Oikawa’s voice was still quiet, “you’re awake over there, right?” 

“Yes.” The voice was muffled, as if his face was pressed to the blankets, but it wasn’t groggy. 

“Do you want to join us?” 

“Not really.” His voice was clearer now, he’d probably turned his head. 

“Are you sure, Iwa-chan? You never believe me when I tell you how beautiful you are, maybe if you could see it first hand?” 

The silence was long but Hajime knew exactly what it meant. Silence meant consideration to Iwaizumi, and Hajime almost shivered at the thought. Oikawa’s fingers pinched a little against his hip and he leaned in again, running his lips over the same spot on the side of Hajime’s neck. Hajime took a deep breath and held onto his own shirt, his fingers curling into fists. 

He felt movement on his other side and Iwaizumi rolled over. 

“How am I supposed to _see_ anything, Oikawa?” He grumbled, and without moving his hands Oikawa lit the blue flames again and the glow from the walls illuminated them. Hajime could see now that Iwaizumi was leaned up on one elbow and hovering over him. Oikawa’s face was nestled against his neck and one hand held his arm while the other massaged his hip bone. 

“Are you okay, Hajime?” Oikawa whispered into his ear, before nipping at the lobe. 

“Ye--” His voice was gone, he cleared his throat. “Yes. I’m fine.”

“Good.” Oikawa said and he pulled back slightly, dragging his fingertips across Hajime’s lower abdomen. Hajime’s hip felt cold where Oikawa’s hand had been, despite still being covered by his pants. 

Iwaizumi was still leaning over him, but he made no move to touch him. Oikawa seemed to notice. 

“Iwa-chan, aren’t you going to touch him?” 

He didn’t require any more prompting before he rolled further over and flung his leg over Hajime’s hips, straddling him. Hajime gasped as Iwaizumi’s hands moved to his shoulders and he sat up straight. Oikawa clapped his hands in encouragement and Hajime threw him a glare that was only rivaled by the one coming from the man on top of him. Oikawa just laughed and leaned back on his hands, crossing his legs in front of him. 

“Well, go on then.” He flicked up his chin towards them. Hajime looked back up at Iwaizumi and moved his hands on top of what he now realized were his bare thighs. The hair was coarse and his skin was rough but somehow it still felt familiar. Iwaizumi’s hands on his shoulders slid down to his biceps and then moved to unbutton his shirt. 

Oikawa was still only watching, and when Hajime glanced over he could see his eyes were wide and interested. Iwaizumi’s fingers worked at the buttons until all were free and he pushed the shirt wide open. 

“You look...different.” His voice was a deep growl and Hajime felt a weak stirring between his legs as Iwaizumi readjusted his hips and his fingers trailed across his chest. 

“He looks like you when you were younger, Iwa-chan.” Oikawa mused. Iwaizumi nodded and scooted down Hajime’s legs and then kneeled so he could push Hajime’s legs apart and settle between them. He felt exposed now, and the knight’s hands were at the waistband of his pants. He tugged at the pants but they hardly budged, they were still tightly buttoned and Hajime could feel himself bulging against them. He unbuttoned them and yanked the zipper open. 

The knight pulled again at the waistband, and this time Hajime lifted his hips so his pants could slide a few inches down. Hajime stifled a moan when a hand was pressed between his legs and he could just hear Oikawa giggle in the background. 

“I think he wants you, Iwa-chan.” Oikawa slid closer, so Hajime could see him without turning his head. “Do you want him, Hajime? Do you want him to touch you?” 

Before he could stop himself he was nodding and Oikawa was laughing again and leaning closer. His lips closed around the crown of Hajime’s ear and he sucked hard before letting go again. “Say it outloud, Hajime. Tell him what you want.” 

Hajime opened his mouth to take a deep breath but he couldn’t get enough air. The knight’s strong hands were rubbing him through the fabric of his underwear and he was still mindlessly nodding and Oikawa was licking around his ear and down his neck. 

“Mm, I--” Hajime started, but he stopped. He was too embarrassed to say what he wanted, that he wanted them both to touch him so bad he was afraid he would combust.

“Just say it, Hajime, please. I want to watch.” 

“Please.” Hajime choked out, and he was afraid it sounded more like a sob than a request. Iwaizumi didn’t seem to care either way and he pulled down Hajime’s underwear just enough to stretch it over his erection. 

Hajime bit his lip so hard he tasted blood when the knight’s bare hands were on the heated flesh of his cock. 

“Yes.” Oikawa breathed against his ear and Hajime’s hips strained up against the hand that was stroking him. Iwaizumi’s other hand was gripping his still clothed thigh and he could feel his strength holding him down. 

The stroking was faster now and his gasping breaths were somewhere between moans and whimpers. Oikawa was still alternating between kissing his neck and whispering encouragements in his ear. Iwaizumi was silent, but tireless in his attention to every part of Hajime’s cock, and it was no surprise he knew exactly where to touch to make Hajime squirm.

“Don’t hold back, Hajime. Be loud for us. Be loud for me.” Oikawa purred and Hajime’s next moan was the loudest yet. His hips were rising with every stroke and he felt his muscles clenching and tightening. 

“Come on, Hajime, come on.” Oikawa said, sliding his tongue along Hajime’s neck and he nodded fervently. He had absolutely no desire to disobey now. 

The knight was moving his own hips, rubbing himself through the thick fabric, and breathing heavily through every stroke and Hajime watched him in wonder, wishing he’d had the presence of mind to get him naked. 

“Come.” This time the voice was Hajime’s own, but it didn’t come from his lips. Iwaizumi twisted his wrist and ran his calloused thumb over the slit of Hajime’s cock and looked him straight in the eye. Hajime listened. He finished with a buck of his hips and a long groan while he spilled over Iwaizumi’s hand. 

Hajime collapsed back, muscles limp and loose, and both other men laid back down. After a few seconds he caught his breath.

“What about...?” He stammered before Oikawa shushed him. 

“We’ll be fine, Hajime-chan. Just go to sleep now. Long day in the morning, remember?” 

Hajime couldn’t even roll his eyes at the honorific before the room went dark again and he fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Hajime woke to the early morning chill and an ache in his bones. Someone had covered him up, but dew had settled into the fabric and on his face and he was shivering before he even opened his eyes. Light leaked into the room through the entrance door and when he sat up and stretched he saw Iwaizumi was already gone and his bedroll was wrapped neatly. Oikawa was still asleep, snoring softly and he curled into the place Hajime had just vacated.

He hadn’t realized that he’d been taking up most of the space on Oikawa’s bedroll, and that Oikawa had most likely spent most of the night with his back to the stone floor. Hajime stretched his arms, first across his chest, then over his head as he worked the soreness from his shoulders. He didn’t think that there was a chance that a ruined castle such as this had any sort of indoor plumbing, so when he shimmied out of the blankets and stood up he headed towards the door they’d entered through. 

The sun was low enough that it didn’t fall directly to the floor of the courtyard. The sky was a pale blue that faded to pink where it met the wall. Light glinted dully off the battlements. It was as if the night had been black and white, and with morning came color. He pulled his jacket tighter over his shoulders and stepped down into the courtyard to find a place to relieve himself. 

When he was finished he sat on a step as the sun rose. The light had just hit the ground of the courtyard when the knight stepped across the drawbridge. He wasn’t in his full armor, but a chainmail shirt hung low over his thick tunic and pants. His boots rose to mid calf and he had a bow Hajime hadn’t seen before slung over his shoulder. In his hand looked to be two or three dead birds. 

“Morning.” Hajime called. 

“I didn’t expect you to be up this early.” He replied, stalking up the steps past Hajime. 

“It was cold. And I’m not used to sleeping on the ground.” 

He only grunted in reply but he stopped before entering the hall and dropped his game beside the door. Hajime spoke again. 

“Do you think I’ll find a way to get home, that mystery item that’s supposed to make Oikawa king, do you think it will work?” He felt embarrassed to be speaking his doubts so transparently, but if anyone would understand his feelings, he figured it would be the knight. 

“I don’t know.” He said, and Hajime hung his head. “But you should trust Oikawa.” Hajime’s eyes flicked up and the knight looked away, walking into the mostly dark hall. 

Hajime jumped up to follow him. Oikawa was awake now, sitting cross legged on his bedroll. He was wiping the sleep from his eyes. 

“There you are, Iwa-chan.” He said to the knight, who was pulling the chainmail shirt over his head and folding it neatly by the rest of his armor. “Did you go hunting again?” 

“Yes.” 

Hajime walked further into the room, but not close enough to intrude on their conversation. Oikawa looked at him anyways and raised a hand in greeting.

“Oh, morning Hajime! Did you go hunting too?” His voice sounded noticeably more cheerful, it was the type of voice that Oikawa put on for strangers, for fans or rival teams or journalists asking him flattering interview questions. Hajime hated it, and he hated it even more when it was directed at him. 

“No, I just went outside.” Oikawa nodded and turned back to Iwaizumi. 

“Did you catch anything then? I’m starving.” Oikawa’s voice was joking but the knight’s eyes flicked up in genuine concern for just a second, it would have been too quick for most people to notice. 

“Yes, they’re outside.” He coughed slightly and turned away. 

Oikawa rose to his feet and dusted off his robes before stretching his hands over his head. “I’ll go and do all the work then.” He winked as he walked past Hajime. 

After Oikawa prepared the birds, with some sort of magic, Hajime was sure, they cooked them over a small fire in the courtyard. Iwaizumi brought them all a tankard of water and Hajime felt better, after swallowing the greasy meat and licking his fingers clean. 

“I feel like we’re closer, Iwa-chan.” Oikawa said as the knight kicked apart the logs to disperse the fire. “I think we’ll find it soon, the energy feels right.” 

As they crossed the drawbridge, Iwaizumi caught Hajime’s shoulder. “Here.” In his hand was dagger, almost the length of his forearm with an ornate handle. It looked more like a piece of art than a weapon, but even Hajime could see the edge was sharp. Hajime just stared. “Take it.” 

He took it, feeling the weight in his hand. It felt dangerous, like something he shouldn’t even be touching. When he looked up the knight’s eyes were on the blade still.

“We don’t know what we face, you may need it.” He passed Hajime and followed Oikawa off the bridge. Hajime stowed the blade carefully halfway in his jacket pocket and kept his grip firm around the handle.

A few hours of hiking through the forest later and Hajime forgot any memory of the early morning chill. He had always thought he was in shape, but the uneven ground combined with the pair’s untiring pace left him panting for breath. Oikawa led them in what seemed to be circles, weaving through trees that all looked so similar that Hajime would have been lost in an instant if he was alone. 

The sun was directly overhead when they finally stopped and Hajime leaned heavily against a tree. They were in a clearing, or as much of a clearing as this thick wood could boast and a small spring was bubbling near Oikawa’s feet. 

“You see, Hajime,” Oikawa said, with the tone of someone teaching a lecture, “water has inherent magical properties, and magic is stronger when there’s water around. Which is why,” he bent down, scooping some water into his cupped hand, “I’m definitely sensing _something_ here that wasn’t here two days ago.”

“Other than me.” Hajime quipped. 

“Yes, Hajime-chan, _other_ than y-” He stopped, dropped the water from his hand and rose to his feet. He crossed the ten feet between them in a flash and suddenly he was hovering over him. For the first time in a few hours Hajime really noticed the horns that wound up the sides of his head. His eyes were fierce, like the Oikawa he knew before an important serve, and Hajime shivered involuntarily as his shoulder blades pressed against the tree bark.

Hajime opened his mouth to speak but the words were lost in his throat. Iwaizumi had jumped to his feet, armor clattering, when Oikawa had crossed the clearing, and he stood now beside them. 

“What are you doing, Oikawa?” His voice was low and menacing and Hajime was glad, at least, that someone had asked the question that he couldn’t. 

“It was you.” Oikawa hadn’t turned away from Hajime, he stared him in the eyes with an intensity he couldn’t match. When no one spoke Oikawa continued. “You were the shift.” 

“Oikawa,” The knight started, “what-” 

Oikawa turned to him, suddenly backing away from Hajime. “Don’t you see, Iwa-chan? I _told_ you! I told you there had been a shift! I felt it, it’s what we’ve spent all these years seeking, it was close, I _knew_ it was close and here it is!” He laughed wildly, gesturing towards where Hajime was still flat against the tree. 

He finally was able to speak. “Here _what_ is?!” He snapped. “You said it yourself that I’m not magical, what the hell are you talking about?” 

“No, no, no, no,” Oikawa said, he was pacing the narrow strip of land between the spring and where Hajime stood next to the knight. “No I said you aren’t magical because you aren’t sending _out_ any energy, but you’re... “ he made a sweeping gesture with his hands, “You’re reflecting it.” He bent by the spring again, sinking fully to his knees. “Like this!” He held up a handful of water and let it fall with a trickling splash. “Just like this, Hajime, you’re reflecting energy like water reflects light!”

It was the knight that spoke up next. “What does this mean? Is he what we need? Is he what the prophecy meant? Can we,” He paused, throwing a glance towards Hajime and then back at Oikawa, “ _can we finally go home?_ ”

Oikawa laughed, long and loud and slapped his hand against his thigh. “I think we can, Iwa-chan. I think we can go home.”


	4. Chapter 4

His horns hadn’t grown in until he was nearly thirteen. He was gangly, too tall for his age and, when the people of his small village found out what he was, he was homeless. His magic had been wild and terrifying, but for those first few years, years when his mind grew older but his body stayed the same, it was all that had kept him alive. 

Years passed, and when he stumbled into the village, so much like the one he’d grown up in, he looked like a dirty child of maybe fifteen years. He hid his horns beneath a cowl, as he always did. His magic had grown weak. He could cook food, manipulate it, but despite everything he tried he hadn’t been able to _create_ it, and he was hungry.

The food cart looked like easy pickings, and the smell of the roasted game bird made his mouth water so much he almost didn’t have the wherewithal to see if he was being watched before he snatched a bird from the cart. He slunk into an alley, eating as quickly as he could in the half-darkness, before he was pushed to the ground and a figure stood over him, the silhouette menacing and strong. 

“You gonna pay for that?” The voice was higher pitched that he expected, and when his eyes adjusted he saw his attacker was just a child, as plain and dirty as he was, but with shoulders too wide for his growing frame and a voice that hadn’t fully deepened. 

“I’m sorry.” Oikawa said, because he couldn’t say anything else. He stuffed the last of the meat into his mouth and reached to make sure his cowl was in place. 

“So, you gonna pay?” 

“I don’t have any money.” Oikawa said quietly, and when he rose to his feet he saw he was taller than the boy, though he supposed they looked close to the same age. 

“Oh.” The boy’s voice was softer, and confused, like he didn’t quite know how to react. 

After a few seconds of silence, the meat having been hastily swallowed and Oikawa’s mouth wiped free of all evidence, the boy turned away and walked back to the cart, leaving Oikawa alone in the alley. 

The next day, after finding a corner to sleep in, wrapped in his nearly threadbare cloak, Oikawa went back to the food cart. The same boy was behind it now, and Oikawa noticed how his eyes shifted. He’d looked like an easy target the day before, but now he could see why he’d been caught, the boy was on his guard in a way that was too subtle for his tender years. 

He didn’t try to sneak, though he kept his cowl tight over his head as he approached.

"Do you have money today?" The boy asked. He had thought he was being inconspicuous, as he hovered near the edge of the morning market crowds, but the boy's eyes were boring into him and he shook his head slightly.

"No, I don't." Oikawa felt the boy watch him as he walked away. He knew he could make it for a few more days having only eaten the stolen meat from the day before, but that didn't mean he was comfortable, and the deep ache in his gut was as strong as ever.

The next day was more of the same, Oikawa slept in a different doorway, but passed the boy and his food cart at the same time in the busy morning. The boy didn't speak to him, but his eyes were wary, and Oikawa walked away without saying a word.

The fourth day was different. Oikawa knew he had to eat, his hands were shaking and even the cowl over his head didn’t hide how thin and haggard his face was beginning to look. He walked past the boy’s cart, his ever guarded eyes watching Oikawa. He didn’t intend to take anything from him, surely there were other carts, other food stalls and merchants or even a customer willing to take pity on him, and he tucked his head lower as he walked away.

He bumped into something solid and fell to the ground before he could correct his balance. It was the boy from the food cart, and Oikawa was reminded of their first meeting, his figure in silhouette, angry and intimidating. This time, though, he bent and offered his hand. 

“I’m trying to help you up.” He said, after a few seconds where Oikawa didn’t move. Oikawa took his hand, but didn’t have the strength to pull himself up. The boy did, and as soon as they both were standing a package was pressed into his hands. He fumbled at the paper and found three or four pieces of smoked meat and a small piece of some fruit he couldn’t identify.

“I don’t have money.” He said, his eyes wide, and he tugged at his cowl again to assure it was in place. 

“Just eat it.” 

Oikawa didn’t approach the boy again, but every day for a few weeks a package was pressed into his hands, and the boy retreated before he could do much more than stutter a thank you. After a month Oikawa started to forget what it felt like to be hungry all the time. 

“What’s your name?” He asked the boy one morning. He didn’t answer.

“I can’t thank you properly without knowing your name.” He said the next day. And the boy just shook his head. 

“Hajime!” Oikawa heard a wide set woman yell one morning, and when the boy turned and answered Oikawa smiled from his place in the crowded market. 

“So, Hajime.” Oikawa greeted him, and the boy was so startled he nearly knocked the entire cart over. 

“Iwaizumi.” He retorted. 

“Iwa-chan.” Oikawa smiled and the boy groaned. 

After that they talked more, or Oikawa talked and Iwa-chan listened. Iwa-chan occasionally offered something about his life, knowledge of the town, how he’d learned to smoke the meats as a child, how he dreamed of being a knight.

When Oikawa thought it was time to move on, he’d spent months in the town, he asked Iwa-chan to come with him, never thinking the boy would agree. When he nodded without hesitation Oikawa nearly cried for joy. Iwa-chan told his mother on the morning they left, and she yelled, but she didn’t seem angry and Iwa-chan waved until they couldn’t see her any longer. 

After a few days Oikawa realized just how useful having a companion could be. Iwa-chan knew how to hunt and prepare food, and just having someone there, a warm body on the cold nights, someone to talk to and laugh at and think about, was more than Oikawa ever dreamed it could be. 

It was bound to happen, Oikawa realized, on the day that he removed his clothes to wash himself in a stream they passed. He’d made Iwa-chan swear not to follow him, not to look, but the boy didn’t listen and Oikawa heard his gasp at the sight of the horns while he stood in the freezing waist-deep water. 

“What are you?” He asked, once Oikawa was dressed and back in camp.

“I don’t know. Some people say demon, some say spirit-tainted, I think I was born like this, it’s all a rather long story.” 

And he told it. He told his story and Iwa-chan listened intently, only interrupting when Oikawa mentioned the magic. 

“Magic? It’s real?” His voice was full of wonder and Oikawa smiled so large his cheeks hurt. 

“Of course it’s real.” He replied. 

They never had a plan, Oikawa led a direction, Iwa-chan followed, and they lived. The woman with the long gnarled fingers who gripped Oikawa’s robes in the small town and whispered to him of hidden destiny, of love and prophecy and _a kingdom_ should have been just another face in the crowd, a stranger, someone to ignore, but those words caught his heart. They wove through his ears and into his chest until it was all he could think about, all he could dream. He had a quest, he could be something, someone other than homeless and wandering. 

Sometime over the months the talk of their future became talk of home. It was an abstract, an ideal they both longed for. They found ways to make money, hunting and bartering and subtly using Oikawa’s magic for profit. They made enough money for food and clothing and, eventually, a set of armor so Iwa-chan could look like the knight he always wanted to be. 

And now they were close, so tantalizingly close, to what the old woman had predicted, to everything they’d spent the last three years trying to get. Their goal was no longer behind the horizon, it was sitting, in dirty clothes, with his back against a tree and his chin against his chest.

In the morning everything would start, when the sun rose, so would Oikawa’s kingdom.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> watch out for spice

Hajime woke up, less sore than he had been the morning before, but the chill from the night was in his bones. He rolled slightly and found both bedrolls to be empty. Oikawa was sitting, his long robe wrapped tightly around his shoulders, with his hands hovering over a small fire. Iwaizumi was no where to be seen, but judging by the fact that his armor laid in a neat pile, he was probably hunting again. 

“Morning, Hajime-chan.” Oikawa said, stifling a yawn with his fist, and Hajime ran his hands through his own disheveled hair. 

“So.” Hajime started, not quite sure what to say. Oikawa had spent the evening regaling them with all his grand designs and Hajime had understood even less than half of it. All he knew was that Oikawa had a plan and, somehow, he was at the center of it. Before he could fully form a sentence Iwaizumi stepped back into camp, a rabbit hanging limp from his hand. 

“Ooh, thank you for the breakfast, Iwa-chan.” 

They prepared the meal and as Hajime burnt the tips of his fingers on the stringy meat Oikawa laid out the plan for them again. 

“So, everyone knows that the palace has been empty for nearly a century.” Iwaizumi nodded but Hajime tried to not look confused, of course _he_ hadn’t known that. “The regent has been actively disputing kingship claims for her entire life. But the Book says when the fated king is present with the item, the curse on the throne will disperse. We just have to get there.” 

The way that Oikawa said _Book_ made it sound like something much more important than printed word. 

“We also have to get The Regent to listen.” The knight pointed out, swallowing the last of his rabbit meat and wiping his fingers on his tunic. 

“Don’t be such a worrier, Iwa-chan. Of course she’ll listen.” 

“She hates magic.” He countered and Hajime saw a quick flash of worry on Oikawa’s face. 

“I won’t use magic until the curse is gone. Then she won’t be able to say anything.” 

The plan didn’t seem sound to Hajime, but he knew better than to question it, this wasn’t his home, but if, somehow, his presence was what it took to break some _curse_ he just hoped it would also send him home afterwards. 

They gathered their things and set off traveling, for once, with a clear direction in mind. It would take less than a week, Iwaizumi assured him, less than a week and Oikawa could be king. 

By evening they’d cleared the edges of the forest and Hajime got his first unobscured view of the sky in days. They followed a road, or what appeared to be a road, hard packed dirt that wound across the fields towards the distant horizon. The grass, a deep yellow and waist high in most places, spread as far as Hajime could see and he wondered how they’d fare without the protective shelter of the trees above them. 

That night he asked the question that had been on his mind as they crossed miles of grassland. 

“Does this book say what happens to.. the item.. after it’s used?” His voice was quiet, but Oikawa turned to him instantly, the worry in his eyes was apparent. He didn’t answer, but he prodded the fire with a stick with slightly more force. 

“It doesn’t say anything beyond ‘it returns’.” Iwaizumi’s voice was gruff, but at least he’d been honest. 

‘It returns’ could mean anything, Hajime reasoned, it could even mean he would return home. 

The next day they crossed a stream and Hajime washed his clothes the best he could. He wore a spare robe of Oikawa’s while they dried, and it scratched against his skin. His shoes were beginning to wear out, but there was nothing to be done. 

They passed the miles in near silence, but Hajime didn’t mind. Each night he settled down between them on the shared bedrolls, each morning he woke up cold and alone to find them already awake. They spoke no more of the plan, or of the knight’s objections. 

On the sixth day, Iwaizumi’s predictions proved correct, and a city could be seen within a day’s walking. It was the first sign of civilization beyond the ruined castle in the woods that Hajime had seen. He could just see what looked to be stone towers on the far side of the city: the palace. 

A small grove of trees spread from the edge of the city to the east and to the west was the ocean, sparkling and blue in the bright noon sunlight. 

“We’ll head for the trees to make camp.” The knight directed, Hajime and Oikawa followed. 

“Why not enter the city?” Hajime asked as they walked.

“We don’t want The Regent to stop us before we get our chance to reach the palace.” Oikawa answered. “Also we don’t have the best experience in cities.” 

“Are you criminals?” Somehow, despite it being one of Hajime’s first thoughts about the duo, he’d never brought himself to ask. The notion seemed ridiculous, and when Iwaizumi laughed he knew it had been the wrong assumption. 

“Oh yes, Oikawa’s a criminal, a terrible one, at that.” 

“Iwa-chan will you ever forgive me for that?! It was only one roast bird!” His voice was playful and Hajime could see the affection in the knight’s eyes when Oikawa shoved his shoulder. 

They entered the shelter of the trees near dark, and ate a meal of dry bread and water from their canteens before setting out their bedrolls. 

The camp was quiet around them and they huddled together, sharing the two bed rolls again. It had almost gotten comfortable, the smell of the forest around him, like the first few days all over again, the warmth from the bodies on either side.

Neither had really touched him since that first night, and part of him was glad. A larger, more substantial and vocal part of him, was furious and frustrated and wanted nothing more than to touch them both. They were so close to their goal now, and the next day, if Oikawa could be trusted and, damn everything, Hajime trusted him, he would be going home. He'd be going back to his comfortable bed and volleyball and _his_ Oikawa. The one who wanted nothing more from him than friendship and a strong arm to spike his tosses. 

Hajime cleared his throat and he heard Oikawa sigh slightly in a way that didn't sound like he was asleep.

"Oikawa." Hajime whispered and Oikawa shifted slightly, placing his hand on Hajime's hip. He covered Oikawa's hand with his own but didn't attempt to move him away. "Tomorrow." He said simply, hoping the rest of the sentiment would convey itself. He was never good with feelings, but he wanted them to know he would miss them, no matter how ridiculous it seemed.

Oikawa scooted closer, aligning their bodies together as they both laid on their sides, and his nose ghosted against the back of Hajime's neck, making him shiver.

"Are you going to miss us, Hajime-chan?" Oikawa's voice was low, dangerous, but his mocking words were more sensual than anything. Hajime just nodded slightly, and he hoped Oikawa could feel the movement.

Iwaizumi shifted slightly in his sleep, rolling from his side to his back. Hajime couldn’t tell if his eyes were open in the dim light of the moon through the canopy of trees. Oikawa’s hand moved rubbing against his hip bone and then up his side, fingers catching on the edge of Hajime’s shirt. Hajime moved his own hand, bringing it back to his chest. It was shaking with anticipation and there was no way he was going to let Oikawa know just _how much_ he wanted this right now. 

Oikawa’s fingers trailed against the bare skin of his side, rucking his shirt further up his chest and he bit his lip to contain the sensation. Oikawa used his other hand to pull gently at Hajime’s shoulder, sliding him back onto his back and suddenly their mouths were together. 

Oikawa hadn’t kissed him, not on the mouth, and not like this. Hajime’s lips opened quickly at the insistence of Oikawa’s tongue and his hands reached up to grab the chest of Oikawa’s robes. He didn’t taste sweet, like he’d always imagined _his_ Oikawa would, he tasted fresh, like water, and he was strong, the power in his mouth, in his hands as they pushed further under Hajime’s shirt, was overwhelming and Hajime spread his legs slightly, praying Oikawa would settle between them. 

Oikawa listened, throwing his leg over Hajime’s and straddling his thigh, he pulled his mouth back, tugging at Hajime’s lip in a way that made him breathe heavier and he followed Oikawa’s mouth with his own. Hajime grabbed Oikawa by the back of his neck, keeping their lips anchored together for another few seconds before Oikawa pulled back farther and Hajime let him. 

“Iwa-chan.” Oikawa said, turning his head slightly towards the knight. There was no way he was still asleep with the commotion just inches from his side, but he didn’t react until Oikawa reached over and yanked at the front of his tunic. 

“What do you want?” He said, but his voice wasn’t as gruff as Hajime had expected it to be. 

Oikawa’s mouth hovered just an inch from Hajime’s but his hand on Hajime’s chest held them apart as he spoke. “This is our last night with Hajime. Don’t you have something you want to say to him?” Oikawa spoke to the knight, but his eyes were on Hajime, watching his lips as he breathed through his mouth. 

The knight sighed but sat up and turned his body slightly towards them, when he crossed his legs Hajime saw it was much as the first night, he slept in nothing but his tunic, and his legs shone in the dull moonlight. “I don’t have anything to say.” 

Hajime watched as Oikawa’s smile spread across his face. Oikawa kissed him again, gently, his tongue barely darting inside of Hajime’s waiting mouth and when he pulled back he reached over to Iwaizumi, running a hand over his bare thigh. 

“Come on, Iwa-chan.” Oikawa whispered. “I know what you want, and you’ll never get it if you don’t ask for it.” Hajime saw Oikawa’s hands trail further up Iwaizumi’s thigh, ducking into the darkness under the edges of his loose tunic. Iwaizumi sucked in a breath and his eyes widened before sliding shut and Hajime could tell Oikawa’s fingers were teasing him. 

“You know how much you love it when I do it.” Oikawa was still talking, his breath coming in warm puffs over Hajime’s face as he periodically rolled his hips against the thigh he still straddled. Iwaizumi just grunted at his comment, but when Hajime glanced over he was nodding. “And it’s been so long.” Oikawa slid down, nudging his nose against Hajime’s jaw so he could kiss his neck. “It’s been so long since you’ve been fucked, Iwa-chan.” He said, his mouth hovering near Hajime’s ear and his muscles clenched. 

Despite the fact that Oikawa’s words weren’t about him, he couldn’t control his reaction to the low growl and his legs squeezed against Oikawa’s knee where it straddled him. He heard the knight’s breath quicken and he saw Oikawa’s hand moving more frantically beneath the edge of the tunic, Iwaizumi let out a small moan and Oikawa snatched his hand away, then returning to rub against his thigh, up and down over the taut muscles. 

Oikawa ground his hips against Hajime’s thighs again, before rolling off. He criss-crossed his legs casually in front of him and patted his hand against Hajime’s hip. “Come over here, Iwa-chan. Let’s show Hajime off properly. We can all have some fun.” 

Before the knight moved more than a few inches Oikawa unbuttoned Hajime’s pants and slid them, along with his underwear, deftly down his legs. This time Iwaizumi’s thighs settled on either side of his hips, rather than in between and he could feel where their bare skin touched as if it was burning. Oikawa’s hands were on him as well, unbuttoning his shirt and pushing it down and off his shoulders as he struggled to free himself. Soon he was completely naked. Oikawa slid his own robes off his shoulders and removed his undergarments. Hajime watched him wiggle his hips as the last of his clothing fell against the bedroll and he crawled over to kneel with one leg between Hajime’s legs, behind Iwaizumi. 

Iwaizumi rolled his hips and Hajime groaned. Oikawa was kissing against the knight’s neck and his hand fisted into the front of his tunic. A blue light flared around them and a small jar flew up out of the knight’s pack and into Oikawa’s hand. It disappeared behind the knight’s body but a few seconds later he let out a low whine and his hips jerked, sliding against Hajime and causing a groan of his own. 

He could tell by the knight’s panting that Oikawa’s fingers were inside of him, opening him slowly as he pressed in and out. With each press of Oikawa’s fingers he rolled his hips and the friction between their thighs and cocks was nearly too much for Hajime. 

Oikawa was still kissing Iwaizumi’s neck, switching from side to side, licking along the nape. Hajime could hear he was talking, but not his words. “Are you ready, Iwa-chan?” He asked, loud enough for Hajime to hear, and Iwaizumi just nodded. 

“You have to tell him,” Oikawa chided, “please tell him, tell him how you like it.” 

He didn’t answer again, but his brow furrowed and he looked slightly angry, before Oikawa’s free hand snaked around and lifted the tunic enough to wrap his fingers around Iwaizumi’s cock. He sighed heavily and when his hips jerked the back of Oikawa’s knuckles rubbed against Hajime and he squirmed. 

“Will you tell him now?” Oikawa asked, with a twist of his wrist. 

“Fuck.” The word was more of a whine than anything when it came from between Iwaizumi’s lips but Hajime felt it in his bones. Hearing such a thing in his own voice sent shivers down his spine and he bucked his hips up, anxious for the friction. 

“Come on, Iwa-chan, please.” His wrist twisted again, thumb rubbing over the tip and Hajime could feel his muscles tightening where his thighs squeezed Hajime’s hips. Oikawa must’ve realized how close he was because he slid his hand to the base of Iwaizumi’s cock and squeezed, quelling the orgasm that had nearly overtaken him. 

“Just let me come, Oikawa.” He grunted instead and Oikawa pulled his hand completely away before resting it on Iwaizumi’s shoulder. 

“No.” Oikawa growled back and he bit gently at the side of Iwaizumi’s neck. Hajime couldn’t help but feel like he was being neglected, and he was aching for release. Iwaizumi bucked his hips, grinding his cock against Hajime’s and his focus snapped back to them. 

Hajime knew the exasperated sigh that came from Iwaizumi’s lips meant he’d given up resisting Oikawa. He was only mildly surprised when Iwaizumi said “Fuck me, Hajime. I want you to fuck me.” 

It wasn’t meant as dirty talk, and the annoyed edge to his voice showed he was clearly placating Oikawa but all the same Hajime longed to listen. It was ridiculous, but in their time together the knight had become more than just a distorted mirrored version of himself, he was his own person, and he was someone Hajime had grown to admire. 

None of those feelings mattered, though, when his cock was stiff and leaking between his legs and Iwaizumi’s hole was wet and gaping for him. Oikawa reached down between Iwaizumi’s thighs and grabbed Hajime’s cock, aligning it with Iwaizumi’s hole until he slowly sunk down onto it, drawing the cock inside with agonizing slowness. 

Hajime just sat back, and his eyes rolled with the tight heat around him. Iwaizumi was in control of his own pace, and when he slowly rose back up and slammed down again they groaned in unison. They settled into a rhythm, Hajime moving his hips up just as Iwaizumi sunk down. Hajime didn’t know what Oikawa was doing, he couldn’t focus beyond the sensations enveloping him. 

He felt a pressure sliding against his dick and Iwaizumi stopped moving, sitting completely down. It took Hajime a few seconds to realize the pressure was Oikawa’s finger, where he was still kneeling behind the knight. Iwaizumi wasn’t moving his hips, but his groans got louder as Oikawa’s finger pushed inside, stretching him wider. 

Hajime didn’t think the pressure could get any tighter or hotter until Oikawa pressed a second finger inside. Iwaizumi was panting and Hajime watched a stream of saliva drip down the edge of his mouth unimpeded, his eyes were rolling back in such explicit ecstasy. 

“Are you ready for me, Iwa-chan?” Oikawa asked and it took a few seconds for Iwaizumi to react. When he did it was just another nod and he leaned forward, resting his hands against Hajime’s shoulders as Oikawa removed his fingers and pressed in with his cock. 

Hajime could feel the slide, the pressure, so tight he thought he would scream, as Oikawa’s cock stretched the knight’s hole. When Oikawa was fully inside Hajime could just see where his hands gripped tight on Iwaizumi’s bare hips where his tunic rode up. It was almost a minute before any of them moved, Iwaizumi shifted, sliding his hips up and back down with such slowness that Hajime hardly would have noticed the movement if it weren’t for the long moan it elicited.

It only took a few seconds, three or four thrusts and the deep rumbling moan in Iwaizumi’s chest and Hajime’s hips bucked up into him. He spilled inside with a gasping breath and a few short thrusts, punctuated by grunts. 

He felt Iwaizumi still clenching around him even as his cock was softening. When he opened his eyes he could see that Oikawa had reached back around to grasp Iwaizumi’s dick and he was fucking him slowly, pounding into his ass as his hand moved in a steady rhythm. Hajime couldn’t even pull out because of the way that Iwaizumi straddled him and the stimulation was almost too much, he felt tears pricking the edges of his eyes. 

“Do you want to come, Iwa-chan?” Oikawa was gasping.

Iwaizumi didn’t even hold back. “Yes.” He breathed, and then more firmly. “Yes, yes, I want to come, let me come.”

Hajime was almost ready to beg, himself, the slick friction of Oikawa’s cock against his and the clenching of Iwaizumi’s ass around him was making his muscles shake and his eyes were freely watering, leaking tears down his cheeks. 

Oikawa didn’t hold back, he pushed in hard, slamming in as deep as he could and his wrist twisted, his fingers squeezed and Iwaizumi was coming, his release spilling over Oikawa’s fingers and landing warm against Hajime’s stomach. Oikawa finished then, the spasms of Iwaizumi’s orgasms being too much, and he rutted against Iwaizumi’s ass, clinging to his hips as he slammed out a few more thrusts, a long high pitched moan crawling from his throat. 

Iwaizumi collapsed down, his arms that were holding him up against Hajime’s shoulders, falling and he slumped against Hajime’s chest. Hajime wiggled his hips enough to pull out with a slick filthy sound, and Oikawa leaned over, crawling around them to lay on Iwaizumi’s side of the bedrolls. 

He pulled at Iwaizumi’s shoulder until the knight rolled over, off Hajime’s chest into the small space between their bodies. Oikawa’s arms circled around him. 

“You were amazing, Iwa-chan, was that everything you dreamed?” He said into the skin of Iwaizumi’s neck and Iwaizumi barely had the energy to nod. 

Oikawa reached his hand over, trailing his fingers along Hajime’s arm. “How are you, Hajime-chan?” He asked, his voice gentle and he pressed another soft kiss to Iwaizumi’s shoulder. 

“Mm… good.” Hajime found himself slurring, and it was true, that had been the most tremendous experience of his life, and he’d shifted dimensions just over a week ago. 

Oikawa moved just enough to throw the blankets over their mostly naked forms, and Hajime drifted into an easy sleep. 

_Tomorrow_ , he thought again, _tomorrow it will be over_ , the thought wasn’t entirely happy.


	6. Chapter 6

Entering the city was easier than Hajime had expected. They’d woken at dawn and packed up their camp and by mid morning they were crossing the wide gates that led into what seemed to be some sort of capital city. The streets were thinly populated, the occasional person passing by on their way somewhere. Some wore robes similar to Oikawa’s, or tunics like what the knight wore beneath his armor. Most were in a variation of neutral cotton shirts and trousers and many citizens eyed his bright colored pants, despite the obvious wear and dirt from travel. 

It wasn’t until they reached a market that Hajime really saw how populous the city was. The streets were packed, crowds bustled from stall to stall, buying all manner of food and wares. 

“Feels like home, huh, Iwa-chan?” Oikawa’s voice was teasing and he pushed Iwaizumi lightly on the shoulder. The knight didn’t respond and they pushed through the crowd to the other side. Hajime felt perpetually dazed, the reality of this world sinking in in a way that it hadn’t in their travels together. He stifled the voice that told him just how improbable getting home was going to be. 

They spoke little as they wandered the streets, closer and closer to the palace. He could see the towers on the horizon, rising above the lower city buildings, and he tried to use them to get his bearings. The sun was high overhead now, and hot, and he felt it radiating up from the dirt streets as much as he felt it on his head and shoulders. 

They turned a corner and a massive gate loomed in front of them. The ornate curls of metal were both decorative and menacing, and the sun glinted off the armor of the guards at either side. Hajime had been impressed with Iwaizumi’s armor, it’s hard worn metal, and he had learned how much care the knight took to keep it in good shape, it was nothing compared to the guards. 

Each one’s breastplate was a shining chrome, inlaid with the gold pattern of what looked to be a symbol, maybe a coat of arms. Swords were belted at their hips and their helmets were adorned with something akin to horns, rising from the sides and curling up and back into points that looked sharp as knives. It took Hajime a few minutes to realize what the horns reminded him of, and he almost laughed at the thought. Oikawa’s kingdom was already prepared for him. 

They didn’t approach the gate at first, and Hajime wondered, once again, at what the plan was. He knew it involved approaching a cursed throne, but if they couldn’t get that far, they didn’t have hope of completing their mission. 

He couldn’t handle the silence any longer, as they lingered near a crowd of people, just out of sight of the palace guards. 

“What are we doing?” He asked and Oikawa’s eyes flicked over him like he’d forgotten he was there. 

“We have to get inside.” He said, and looked away again. 

“Why don’t we just ask?” Hajime knew it had to be a stupid question, but if they weren’t going to explain anything to him he’d have to sound stupid for the sake of information. 

“They won’t just let anyone inside the palace.” Iwaizumi answered, and Hajime nodded. 

“Can we talk to the Regent then? Or…” Hajime’s voice trailed off. He knew they had said the Regent didn’t _want_ to find the fated king, but surely there had to be some way to get inside that gate. 

Oikawa looked back at him and his eyes widened for a second. “We might be able to beg an audience… and then, once we’re inside…” 

“They’ll never leave us alone, we’ll have to fight through half the palace guard to reach the throne room.” The knight’s voice was gruff, but Hajime heard the sense in his argument. 

“Be a little more subtle, Iwa-chan, fighting isn’t always the answer.” The sly smile on Oikawa’s face meant he had an idea, an idea he thought would work, and that he favored surprising them with the details. 

They followed Oikawa towards the gate, trailing like servants, and Hajime kept his eyes cast downward and tightened the grip on the dagger in his pocket. 

Oikawa began speaking quickly, in a language Hajime didn’t understand, and by the halting responses of the guards, it seemed they didn’t understand either. There was some shuffling before one of the guards turned to call through the gate for it to be opened. Hajime almost stepped forward, but caught himself when he realized the other two weren’t moving. One guard entered the gate and disappeared quickly from sight. 

“Just wait here.” The remaining guard said, slowly, as if he wasn’t sure Oikawa understood his words. It took a few minutes before the guard returned, his armor clinking, with a small woman in deep red robes trailing behind him. 

She spoke to Oikawa in the same language he’d originally spoken. Hajime looked up just long enough to see a look of confusion cross her eyes, but it passed quickly and her expression was serene and unreadable. It didn’t take long before she beckoned Oikawa to follow her, and the three of them passed through the gates. 

The questions of what was happening hung heavy on Hajime’s tongue, but he stayed quiet, watching the paving stones pass under their feet. They were stopped at, yet another, gate, but the woman in the red robes spoke quickly to the guards who allowed them passage. 

They found themselves in a high ceilinged room. The room was roughly the size of the hall that Oikawa had first brought him to, in the ruined castle, but there the similarities ended. The walls were hung with tapestries and thick rugs covered the floors. Hajime wished he could take off his beaten up sneakers and run his feet through the threads. 

A chair sat at the far end, it looked expensive, but not as regal as a throne. 

“You will wait here, The Regent will attend you presently.” The woman said, and left the room through the door they’d entered through. She shut it behind her. 

Hajime wanted to speak, but Iwaizumi spoke first. 

“What are you doing, Oikawa? The Regent will take one look at us and kick us out of the city!” He hissed. He kept his voice low, for fear of listening ears, most likely, but Hajime could tell he wished he was yelling. 

“Don’t worry, Iwa-chan. I know what I’m doing.” Oikawa smiled but Hajime saw how he rubbed his hands along his robe, and could tell he was nervous, he was sure Iwaizumi saw the same. 

A door on the far side of the long room opened and a woman stepped through. She was in dark blue robes, trimmed with gold, and the same coat of arms from the guards adorned the top right of her chest. Her face was stern, lined with age, and she held her back straight as a board while she sat in the waiting chair. 

The woman who had led them there followed shortly after, coming through the same door, and stood to the left of the seated woman. The Regent spoke. 

“Welcome.” Her voice wasn’t friendly, “How may I help you?” She turned her head slightly towards the woman in red, who, presumably, translated her words into the language Oikawa had spoken. 

Oikawa responded in the same language, and Hajime did not know what he said until his words were repeated by the translator to the Regent. 

“He says he comes to our kingdom,” her voice stressed the word, “to see the magic of cursed throne. He says he has an offer to make to the future queen.” 

The Regent’s eyes lit up at the words. “I would hear this offer of yours, sir.” 

The words were translated and Oikawa responded. 

“He says he knows of an artifact capable of breaking the curse before the fated king arrives, he would make you queen.” 

“Do you only _know of_ this artifact, or do you possess it?” Her words were sharp, biting, and Hajime felt as if he was being chastised, though she had not even acknowledged his presence. Oikawa answered. 

“He says it is within his grasp, though he does not carry it with him.” 

“What do you desire in exchange for this...artifact?” 

Oikawa bowed low once the words had been translated and only spoke once he’d risen to his full height again. 

“He seeks only to see the cursed throne with his own eyes, and serve the queen faithfully afterwards.” 

The Regent rose to her feet. 

“He shall see the cursed throne, and we’ll speak further of this artifact.” She walked past them and through the door from which they’d entered. The woman in the red robes translated and then quickly beckoned them to follow her. 

It wasn’t a long walk, the halls were wide and covered with similar tapestries as the Regent’s room. They reached a tall door, twice again as tall as a man. They were black, but Hajime could just see the embossed form of the coat of arms, two feet wide, adorning each door. The woman in the red robes passed the Regent and took hold of the large handles. The Regent nodded and she pulled, straining to move the doors. 

The room beyond was huge. It was mostly dark, but Hajime could see light filtering through tall dusty windows on one side. The woman in the red robes stepped aside and beckoned Oikawa forward. He walked forward slowly, and Hajime and Iwaizumi followed. The Regent did not step inside, she stood opposite the other woman, flanking the doors. 

When Hajime crossed the threshold he felt a tingling in his fingers, as if they’d lost circulation, and he wondered, again, at the idea of the curse. The three of them stepped further in the room, and once they were completely clear of the doors Oikawa turned back. 

He bowed slightly, and when he rose he flung both hands forward. Blue flames sprung to life in the wall sconces and the Regent and her aide were pushed back by an invisible force. The large doors were pulled shut once the women were free and a large cross bar blocked them with a bang. 

Oikawa clapped his hands together as the dust settled, and he turned back to face his companions. 

“Well, we’ve got work to do, don’t we?” He walked past a stunned Hajime and closed in on the throne. 

In the mostly dark room Hajime could only tell that the throne was big. It was set into the wall, on a wide stone dais. A few tattered tapestries hung behind it, flanking either side, and ornate carvings of battle scenes covered the wall from floor to ceiling. He couldn’t see the details, but he could tell it was elaborate. 

The closer he stepped to the throne the more aggressive the tingling in his fingers became, and soon he felt it through the whole of his arms. 

“Oikawa.” He said, pulling the man from his reverie. “I think… something is happening.” 

Oikawa turned sharply back to him and crossed the space between them in two long strides. He gripped Hajime’s shoulders. 

“What is it, Hajime-chan, do you feel the curse?” 

Hajime only nodded, and curled his hands into fists. Oikawa looked him in the eye, searching. 

“Come here,” Oikawa said, and took his hand. Where their skin touched the tingling lessened, as if Oikawa was drawing it from him. He pulled Hajime closer to the throne.

“What is happening, Oikawa?” The knight asked. He sounded confused, to be standing aside while this thing they’d been working towards was coming to fruition. 

“We’re breaking a curse, Iwa-chan. We’re doing it.” Hajime could hear the awe in his voice, as it echoed through the room. The dais was just in front of them now, almost touching the toes of Hajime’s shoes. 

The tingling in his free hand was almost to the point of pain now, and Hajime winced. 

“What’s wrong, does something hurt?” 

Hajime nodded. He looked back over his shoulder where the knight stood, looking forlorn. 

“Iwaizumi, will you..?” He moved his free hand slightly, lifting it. The knight nodded slightly, and walked forward until he, too, was facing the dais.

When he held Hajime’s hand the tingling stopped. 

“Hajime-chan, what are you..?” Oikawa’s voice trailed off. 

“We’re stronger as a team. I needed both of you.” He could hear the Regent yelling through the doors, and a loud banging of her guards attempting to break through. 

Oikawa squeezed his hand slightly in reply, and Hajime stepped onto the dais. 

The soft tingling that had faded from his hands increased tenfold and Hajime cried out. It felt as if a whirling wind was all around them, drowning out all sounds but their heartbeats in their ears and the flowing air. Oikawa and Iwaizumi held tight to his hands and as they followed him onto the dais and a green light glowed from the throne.

Hajime could feel it then, the force of the curse as it flowed through his veins, he couldn’t tell if he was floating or falling, he could only focus on the hands in his hands, and, when he turned, the glow against Oikawa’s face. 

_Take the throne_ , a voice in Hajime’s head said, _he must make his claim._ The voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere, it came from the wind. 

“Sit down!” Hajime yelled towards Oikawa. They were only inches apart but he wasn’t sure if even then he’d be able to hear. The whirlwind roared around them and the throne glowed brighter. 

Oikawa bit his lip and nodded slightly as he stepped forward. The wind shifted with them, and Oikawa’s robes flapped around his ankles. Their hands held fast, and Hajime felt like a rope drawn taut between the knight and his king. Oikawa didn’t let go, but he turned to face them both, his back to the throne. 

Hajime just nodded at him, and glanced back at Iwaizumi who was nodding as well. Oikawa looked scared.

“This is what you came here for, Oikawa, just do it!” The knight yelled and Oikawa smiled. He sat down.

As soon as he sat the wind stopped but the throne glowed so bright it was blinding. The glow was no longer green, but white, and Hajime remembered where he’d seen this before. He turned first to Oikawa, smiling on his throne, almost too bright to see, and then back to the knight who still looked stunned, but also proud. He had too much he wanted to say, too many things running through his head, but he knew there was no time. 

“Thank you.” He whispered and prayed beyond hope that they heard him. His hands felt empty, and the light was so bright he closed his eyes. There was a twisting, compressing feeling that felt like his limbs were being ripped from their sockets and then it was gone. He was gone, and then he was back. He was home.

The sidewalk was hot against his cheek and a car whizzed by. Everything was loud, shockingly loud, something hard was under his hip, and he sat up just to get his bearings. He was where he had disappeared, it looked like mid afternoon. It could have been a dream, he swore it could have been a dream, except his clothes were still streaked with otherworldly mud, his shoes worn out from a week’s worth of traveling on foot, and, when he checked his pocket, it still contained the dagger the knight had given him. He held it to his chest. It was real, no one would ever believe him, but it was real. 

He heard pounding footsteps on the sidewalk behind him and he turned to see Kindaichi, out of breath with his arm outstretched. 

“Iwaizumi-senpai,” He panted, and Hajime could see the phone and wallet in his hands, “you left these in the club room this morning.” 

Hajime stood and took what Kindaichi held. “Thank you.” 

“Er, what happened to you?” 

Hajime looked down at himself, imagining what Kindaichi must be seeing. He knew he couldn’t explain, so he just shook his head. “I fell down. Don’t worry about it. Tell Oikawa I’m going to miss afternoon practice.” 

Kindaichi just nodded and Iwaizumi turned away. 

It was almost evening by the time he made it home and stripped out of his clothes to take a shower. The water sluiced over his skin, running through the week of travel dirt that was not dislodged by splashes of river water, the water pooled brown around the drain. He would have stayed in the shower until the water ran cold but his doorbell rang, just loud enough to hear, and he wrapped a towel around his waist before sprinting to catch it. 

It was Oikawa, looking angry, and then flustered at Hajime’s lack of clothes. 

“What do you want?” Hajime said, stepping back so that Oikawa could come in. He came in and slipped off his shoes. 

“You can’t just miss practice, Iwa-chan, it sets a bad example.” 

“I’m sick.” 

Oikawa looked at him, then, really looked, and Hajime could tell something about him changed in his expression. Surely he couldn’t tell that somehow he’d lived over a week in the few seconds he’d been gone, if he had even been gone at all. There was no way Oikawa could see something like that, but the one time Hajime doubted Oikawa was surely a time he’d be proven wrong. 

“You don’t look sick, you weren’t sick this morning.”

“I’m not allowed to get suddenly sick?” Hajime asked. 

“No. You aren’t.”

Hajime looked at Oikawa, with more concentration than he remembered looking at anyone with in years. He saw his best friend, a boy he’d loved since middle school, and he saw something else, something of the spark that made the other Oikawa who he was, the mystery, the _magic_. It was all there, within this boy, _his_ Oikawa, he’d thought all those days. And why couldn’t that be true?

“Do you know what you want, Oikawa?” He asked suddenly, not knowing what he wanted the answer to be.

“Of course I do. I want to win nationals, I want to play professional volleyball, I want to eat a very tasty dinner, _and_ I want you to come to practice.” He finished with a smile and Hajime had to roll his eyes. 

“I want more than that.” He said, and his serious tone must have alerted Oikawa. 

“Well, what do you want, Iwa-chan?” He looked so innocent, just then, his face soft in the fading light through the living room windows, sharp in his school uniform, and Hajime just wanted to kiss him. 

Keeping a firm hold of the towel around his waist he stepped forward, inches from Oikawa, and leaned in until their noses almost aligned despite the height difference. He froze, and Oikawa exhaled a shaky breath. 

“What do you want, Iwa-chan?” He repeated, but this time it was leading, and Iwaizumi knew what he wanted.

He closed the gap, swallowing those few inches as he pressed their lips together softly. Just gently, once, twice, and he pulled away enough that their noses still touched, he could still smell Oikawa’s skin. 

“You.” He breathed, hardly audible, and this time Oikawa kissed him. 

It was hungry, a clash of mouths and lips and his hands were on Hajime’s chest and their mouths were open. He uses his free hand to run through Oikawa’s hair, and pulled them together with his fingers around the back of Oikawa’s neck. 

When they pulled apart again it was Oikawa that spoke this time. “I want you too, Iwa-chan.” And he smiled. 

Hajime smiled too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...and so ends the longest goddamn crack fic in existence. 
> 
> (dont quote me on that I'm sure there are longer out there. Also this ended up being not very crack despite the ridiculous concept and that this was literally an excuse to write Iwaizumi having sex w/ himself.)
> 
> I hope yall enjoyed it. Once again big thank you to Aro for the main concept.
> 
> Edit: I def foreshadowed something and then forgot about it completely, edited to accommodate that.


End file.
